Stanley Cavell

The first posthumous collection from the writings of Stanley Cavell, shedding new light on the distinctive vision and intellectual trajectory of an influential American philosopher. For Stanley Cavell, philosophy was a matter of responding to the voices of others. Throughout his career, he articulated the belief that words spring to life in the concrete circumstances of speech: the significance and...

Stanley Cavell looks closely at America's most popular art and our perceptions of it. His explorations of Hollywood's stars, directors, and most famous films—as well as his fresh look at Godard, Bergman, and other great European directors—will be of lasting interest to movie-viewers and intelligent people everywhere. When referencing the title, avoid putting it in quotes or speech marks. Format...

During the '30s and '40s, Hollywood produced a genre of madcap comedies that emphasised reuniting the central couple after divorce or separation. Their female protagonists were strong, independent, and sophisticated. Here, Stanley Cavell names this new genre of American film—the comedy of remarriage—and examines seven classic movies for their cinematic techniques and for such varied themes as feminism, liberty, and...

In these lectures, Stanley Cavell situates Emerson at an intersection of three crossroads: a place where both philosophy and literature pass; where the two traditions of English and German philosophy shun one another; where the cultures of America and Europe unsettle one another. In Conditions Handsome and Unhandsome, Cavell explores these intersections with insight and depth, inviting the reader to...